In 1990, attorneys from the firm litigated the first state case finding that a former Five Tribes restricted allotment was a “dependent Indian community” and that state courts had no jurisdiction to evict an Indian housing authority homebuyer, which resulted in the establishment of the CFR court system in Eastern Oklahoma.

Economic Development

The increased revenue stream realized by Indian gaming has opened the door for some tribes to pursue new economic and business opportunities. For many tribes, including those with small gaming operations, economic development remains a serious challenge. For over 25 years, Hobbs Straus has been working with Indian and Alaska Native tribes and tribal organizations to strengthen tribal infrastructure and enhance economic opportunities. We come equipped with deep knowledge and appreciation of relevant federal law and applicable tribal laws and customs, allowing a full understanding of the unique status of tribes and how that status impacts their efforts for economic development. We are dedicated to seeing that the interests of our clients are protected, and we work with them to achieve their business goals.

Our economic development team works with tribal governments and entities throughout the United States on a variety of business and corporate ventures related to real estate, insurance, taxation, as well as employment and labor relations. We represent clients before Congress, the courts, and the Internal Revenue Service on a wide range of tax issues, and we routinely help clients establish and maintain tribal business entities including federally, tribally and state chartered corporations, joint ventures, tribal authorities and Section 8a enterprises.

Additionally, our finance team assists tribal clients on a variety of transactions from revenue bond offerings and loans to hotel financing and land acquisition financing. In 1994, Hobbs Straus represented the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut in the first large bond financing of an Indian casino, the Mohegan Sun Casino.